UPD: The meeting of the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA), chaired by PM Alexis Tsipras who cut his election campaign in the Dodecanese short to attend, has ended with the various scenarios of a possible escalation in the Greek-Turkish relations, due to the latter’s provocative stance against Cyprus being discussed.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had a telephone conversation with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, on the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Turkish provocation in order to coordinate their next moves.
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Greek PM Alexis Tsipras has called an extraordinary meeting of the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA) for Sunday to reportedly discuss the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean region and Turkey’s stance to start drilling in the Cypriot EEZ, despite the international community condemning the move and warning against it.
Alexis Tsipras suddenly canceled his program and returned to Athens. It is currently unclear whether his decision had to do with the developments in the Cypriot EEZ or if Athens has information that Ankara will escalate its attack by violating the Greek continental shelf.
The meeting, due to start at 5:30 pm, at the Maximos Mansion, will, according to sources, focus on assessing the situation in the region and the appropriate actions needed following developments in the Eastern Mediterranean
Turkey defied all calls by the EU, the United States and countries such as France and Spain – through the MED7 Summit – and continued on course to drill in Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
President Erdogan seems unhinged, going so far as to personally attack French President Emmanuel Macron.
“What right does France have to speak about the Eastern Mediterranean? Macron is inept. He does not know. We have rights in Cyprus and we are not backing down”, the Turkish president told reporters.
The Cypriot government said it had indications of seismological activity in its EEZ, but added it could verify if the data was linked to the Turkish oil drilling ship “Fetih” which has reportedly started drilling in the area.
The US State Department dubbed the Turkish actions in the Cypriot EEZ as provocative.
